Dennis Dyer was a tall, solidly-built opening batsman with exceptional patience but, when the occasion demanded, was able to counter-attack. He made his first-class debut in 1939-40 , scoring a career-best 185 for Natal in their innings win over Western Province. The war meant that he did not play his next first-class game for almost five years. He resumed with two good domestic seasons (in 1946-47 he made 585 runs at 48.75) which won him selection for the 1947 England tour. He made his debut in the third Test at Old Trafford, scoring a defiant three-hour 62, but in the remainder of the series he only managed 34 runs in five innings. His tour was ended when he suffered an appendicitis, and he played only three more matches over the next two seasons.
Martin Williamson